(Original post by JCM89)
GCSE Higher Level
A*, A, B, C, D tests mainly Levels 7, 8, 9 and 10.
GCSE Intermediate Level
B, C, D, E tests mainly Levels 5, 6, 7 and 8.
GCSE Foundation Level
D, E, F, G tests mainly Levels 3, 4, 5, 6.
Thanks mate. Do you have a source, like a link from an exam board or something? Also, I thought when you are graded a National Curriculum level it doesn't necessarily correspond to Higher, Intermediate, Foundation which I believe is only used for exam purposes?
(Original post by Bad A$$)
How can this be? Also, isn't alevel 8 broadly equivalent to a grade B according to the info you've given?
I was getting level 8 maths in year 9, and if I had sat the GCSE paper then I probably would have got something like a B, considering that I already had quite a lot of the algebra, shape, basic calculations and simultaneous equations skills etc...
The last writing assessment I ever did in KS3 for French was a level 6, but when I did my first piece of French coursework the same calendar year it was 19/20! I'm sure my French improved, but not THAT much...
Unfortunately, there is a load of drivel in this thread. Firstly, the Intermediate Tier at GCSE was abolished some time ago.
There is no equivalence between National Curriculum Levels and GCSE. Levels test the National Curriculum up to Key Stage 3 whereas GCSE tests Key Stage 4 - they are different courses (admittedly with considerable overlap in the case of mathematics). Since National Tests at Key Stage 3 were abolished and replaced by arbitrary teacher assessment (and these figures can easily be manipulated for political reasons), the question is irrelevant anyway.
This link shows how a student who attained a particular grade at KS3 might perform at KS4 based on national data for the entire 2007 cohort. This is not a table of equivalences however as these students spent two more years in a classroom to achieve these results.
(Original post by James Simmonds)
Also: when I was in KS3 there were no levels 9 or 10. I actually check the QCDA schemes of work and assessment criteria sometimes for KS3 (because I'm weird!) and there is still no level 9 or 10.
Levels 9 and 10 existed in the early days of the National Curriculum.
I am in Year 9 but doing GCSE coursework. My teachers tell us that:
-Level 8 = A*
-Level 7 = A
-Level 6 = B
-Level 5 = C
...and so on.
This is for Higher GCSEs.
I guess what people are saying about having to achieve less to do well is true.
You can't compare national curriculum levels to GCSE levels. Firstly, NC Levels are not standardised and mean different things in different schools. Secondly, NC Levels are not comparable between subjects, for instance a level 7-8 in Science or Maths is similar to a level 5-6 in languages.
You also have to bear in mind that KS3 assessments function at a lower level than at GCSE. Most people simply haven't covered enough content or developed enough academic maturity to compare their performance to GCSEs.
Whilst NC Levels don't convert to GCSE grades, they do translate roughly into predictions. Someone getting a Level 8 in Maths in Year 9 should be on track for an A/A* in their GCSEs (but a Level 8 isn't the same as an A).